This is a deck I put together to share with our awesome MarketMeSuite interns about halfway through their internship. I thought it was important to check in and have them do a "gut check" about startup life, and whether they think it could be for them in the long term.

1. Start-up Life
The Good, The Bad, The Awesome.

2. What Is A Startup?
A startup company or startup is a
company, a partnership or
temporary organization designed
to search for a repeatable and
scalable business model.

3. We are on a journey
You are part of something more
than just a company.
The things you do everyday directly
impact the future of this business.
And you do a lot of things.

4. My Internshit
No, that’s not a typo.
I interned for a large company.
It sucked.
I did “fake projects” to “learn.”
They paid me for this.

5. However…
I would have gladly gone unpaid if I
knew my work meant something.
I left that internship with nothing
more than a name on a resume.
A year later, I had the opposite
experience…

6. Real Impact
A year later I took an internship, proposed an ad
concept and they actually used it. (Couldn’t find
actual ad, but it was for this brand)
I was not paid for this.

7. Usually…
You get a paid internship that gives
you no chance for impact
-or-
You go unpaid and learn a lot.
At MarketMeSuite we strive to give
our interns both.

8. Experience Matters
“Chicken before the egg”
You need experience to get
experience.
You are getting “real” experience.
A lot of it. Totally “rock your resume”
real.

9. Corporate Ladder
It’s a long way up. It’s slow and
corporations do things (like
establish pay grades and
thresholds) to keep you on lower
rungs of the ladder. (You can
look forward to a 3% raise each
year...)

10. Startup Ladder
It’s a climb, but
big risk = big
rewards

11. The Risks
- Lots of hard work with no
guarantee
- Lower pay than a corporate job
- Much higher commitment level
required

12. The Rewards
- Experience that will fill a resume
- Being a part of something real
- Potential for big rewards later

13. Look In The Mirror
Do you value
experience?
Do you enjoy having
your work directly
impact the real world?
Do you love what you
do?
These are the questions.
You have the answers 